Nebraska Motto
Equality before the law
The official state motto of Nebraska is “Equality before the law.” The only other state with a similar motto is Wyoming whose state motto is “Equal Rights”.
Both these mottos give importance to the ideals of the 1860s post-Civil War United States. Both are related to and advocate the granting of political and civil rights previously denied to certain Americans: most black men, free or slaves, and women of any race. It became official when on June 14, 1867, Governor David Butler signed H.R. 41 which specified the seal’s design and the motto.
Nebraska also granted statehood in the same year after agreeing to accept Congress’s demand that it remove a “whites only” voting restriction from its state constitution. The state motto “Equality Before the Law” reflected Nebraska’s willingness to extend suffrage to African-Americans.